Qwelane back in court for hate speech

Johannesburg - The directions hearing in the hate speech case instituted by the SA Human Rights Commission [SAHRC] against Jon Qwelane is expected to take place in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

On 1 September 2011, the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court granted an application for a rescission of judgement to South Africa's ambassador to Uganda, Jon Qwelane.

SAHRC brought the hate speech case against the ambassador and was ordered to pay the costs of his legal counsel.

In April 2011, he was found guilty of hate speech, but was not present at the default judgement due to his job abroad.

Qwelane's counsel argued that the default judgement was not allowed and that an enquiry needed to be convened before such a judgement could be handed down.

While still practising as a journalist in 2008, Qwelane wrote a column published by the Sunday Sun in which he expressed his opinion about homosexuals.

The column was headlined "Call me names, but gay is NOT okay".

Qwelane was ordered to apologise through the Sunday Sun and to pay R100 000 to the commission. The money was to be used to promote gay rights.

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